Don't Stop Believin'
by silvershadowrebel
Summary: Six demigods. One new prophecy. A very short deadline. Follow a new generation of demigods as they tackle a new threat: Olympus turning against itself. Three major gods have gone missing, and the rest are in turmoil. If they don't save the world by August 18, the legend Percy Jackson's birthday, well, it won't matter who's heart gets broken on the quest.
1. Dates with Destiny

**Description: Six demigods. One new prophecy. A very short deadline. Follow a new generation of demigods as they tackle a new threat: Olympus turning against itself. Three major gods have gone missing, and the rest are in turmoil. If they don't save the world by August 18, the legend Percy Jackson's birthday, well, it won't matter who's heart gets broken on the quest.**

**Okay, guys. This is the first chapter of the SYOC. This is mostly introductions for my own characters. I promise I'll update as often as I can. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and REVIEW! Please...**

**Takes place four years after the second Titan War. Percy & Friends are in college, but they still come every summer. They are good friends with the six. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson & Friends, I wouldn't be writing this...**

Ch. 1 Lexie

_Tap, tap, tap_. I tapped my nails impatiently on the coffee table in the Big House. Chiron had wanted to talk to me, but the he had to go teach an archery class. I half wondered what I was in trouble for now. The exploding m 'n' m's? The smiley faces in sharpie on the Demeter cabin's tomatoes? Replacing Percy's pen with a regular pen? The possibilities are endless.

I waited about another five seconds, then stood up. There was nobody in the Big House. I could do a little exploring. I walked down the Demigod Hall of Fame. My favorite pictures are the ones of our latest legends.

First was the one of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, arm in arm. Then there was Nico di Angelo, sitting on the dock, looking like a Gothic deer caught in the headlights. Next to that, Connor and Travis Stoll standing proudly in front of the Demeter cabin, grass roof decorated with chocolate Easter bunnies. Another with Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez; Piper's eyes raised to the heavens, Jason's eyes a million miles away, Leo's with their slightly crazed look. One with Jason, Thalia, Percy, and Nico, with their arms around each others shoulders.

And then my favorite of all. A group shot of all the famous legends, jumping off the dock. Everyone was laughing hysterically. They looked like family, despite the fact that it had been taken right after the second Titan War.

They all were in college now. Except for Nico di Angelo, who's sixteen. However, they never fail to come back every summer. They were still senior counselors. Percy, the Stolls, and I are good friends, seeing as we love to prank other people, including each other. And Annabeth is still designing cabins. Last year, she finished rebuilding Olympus. It is amazing.

There was a picture I hadn't noticed before. It was a bunch of us fourth-year campers. We had been some of the first campers to come after the Titan War, literally days afterwards. I hadn't even known the picture had been taken. It was from last summer. We were all sitting around Hestia's campfire. There was me, laughing my head off, along with Destiny. Ember was holding her head in her hand like, _why are these people my friends?_, but she was smiling nonetheless. Alyx was staring at Destiny. Nick was in the middle of slapping Dan on the back. The fire cast a warm glow on us.

I remember that night. It had been after the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Alyx had gone to the fireworks purely to be near Destiny. Afterwards, we had visited Hestia. Nick had said something ridiculously funny, causing Dan to choke on his own spit, and Destiny and I to erupt into laughter. Alyx then proceeded to ask Destiny out, causing _Nick _to choke. Destiny had said yes, of course. Dan had stopped slapping Nick on the back long enough to stare at his twin sister.

Those were my friends. My family. There was Destiny Largess, daughter of Apollo. She had long, straight dark brown hair with silver streaks, silvery blue eyes and a tall sixteen-year-old frame. She stayed year-round and was known for her rebellious streak.

She and Dan were twins. Apparently they were identical, but Dan, the Deuce, had died his hair red and spiked it. He was also six feet tall. However, they had the same eyes and fair skin tone. He was also a year-rounder. Dan was really into punk and rock music. Destiny and Dan fight a lot, but they are ultimately inseparable.

Alyx Bloode is probably the first son of Thanatos. We nicknamed him Brit because he came from England. These days, he stays year-round, but occasionally visits his 26-year-old sister, Leslie. He's got long straight black hair and warm, calming brown eyes. When he's not slouching, he can top 5' 10". In some strange way, he has this really deep tan Or maybe it's just olive skin. I'm not sure. He's great for stress relief. Just be near him, and you're suddenly calmed. He's the cause of the soccer rage at camp. Apparently, he was on his way to major league soccer when he got recruited.

My closest friend is Ember Brenner, the fourteen year old daughter of Hestia. Or, at least she says she's the daughter of Hestia, even though Hestia's a maiden goddess. Whenever we ask her about it, she says it's a long and complicated story, then changes the subject. Her wavy light brown hair comes complete with natural blond streaks. Her orange/ yellow eyes kind of give her away. She's the only preppy demigod I know, and probably the only pacifist this camp will ever see. Ember used to live on the streets before a satyr found her. But don't let that fool you. She screams if anything with more than four legs crosses her path.

The last one in our little group is Nick Bowi. His mother is Galene, goddess of calm seas, so of course he's got lagoon blue eyes. Other than that, he's like a fifteen-year-old version of Percy. The genes must run in the family. Even down to the 6'1" broad-chested body. During the year, he stays with his dad, a journalist for Newsweek. And unfortunately for him, he's got a crush on Ember, who has clearly stated that she hates dating.

I guess I have to describe myself. Name: Lexie Dyel. Age: 14. Appearance: 5'4 1/2", long and straight beach blond hair, with electric blue tips. Everybody says I have killer green eyes. My wardrobe is full of beach-vibe clothing. My mother is Aura, goddess of breezes and the cool morning air. Can I say LAME? During the school year, I live with my dad and 18 year old sister, Anna. I'm known as fun and outgoing. I've also assisted Percy and the Hermes cabin in a number of practical jokes. My first joke? Setting up a water balloon fight and filling the balloons with blue paint. Criminal at the age of ten.

I took the picture off the wall to get a better look. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground. I replaced the picture and picked up the piece of paper. It looked old and yellowed with age. I was about the size of half a piece of notebook paper, maybe a little smaller. Someone had written on it in Ancient Greek, cramming everything onto the front side. I was just about to decipher it when I heard footsteps. Or is it hoovesteps?

I didn't have time to ponder it. I stuffed the paper into my pocket and rushed back into the living room.

Destiny POV

The Deuce spiked the ball over the net. I dove to the ground, saving the ball at the last minute. It popped back up in the air and Percy sent it over to the other side. It hit the ground right between Dan and Ember. I stood up and dusted the sand off myself.

We had gotten Percy and Grover to play a pickup game of volleyball. Then Chiron had called Lexie into the Big House, so we dragged Nico over to play. The teams are as follows: Alyx, Grover, Dan, and Ember on one side, and me, Percy, Nico, and Nick on the other.

I flipped my side bangs out of my eyes. "Why do you think Chiron wanted to talk to Lexie?" I asked no one in particular.

Nico snorted. "Probably about one of her latest pranks."

"No, duh," I said. "But which one? The m 'n' m's? The tomatoes?"

"How 'bout my pen?" Percy demanded. Sometimes he acted like he was sixteen again, not twenty.

Nico cracked up. "That was pure genius! You were all like, 'beware the ballpoint pen' and we were all like, 'yeah, real scary'."

"That wasn't funny!" Percy protested.

There was a pause. "You're right," Alyx spoke up, seriously. "It wasn't funny. It was hilarious!" We all cracked up. Even Percy managed a smile.

That was the difference between Nico and Alyx. Alyx hates stereotypes, so he goes out of his way to avoid wearing black. I've even seen him wear pink before. He's also really funny and peppy. He and Nico get along really well, but you wouldn't think that they wear both related to death and ghosts.

We played another round of volleyball, then Percy, Grover, and Nico wandered off. The rest of us meandered over to the beach. On the way there, I jumped onto Alyx's back and he gave me a piggyback ride the rest of the way there. Nick offered to give Ember a piggyback ride, and she accepted. My brother ran all the way to the beach and waited to see who got there first. Five feet away from Dan, Nick cut in front of Alyx , causing all of us to go tumbling to the ground. I rolled over a bunch of people, reached up, and slapped Dan's hand.

Alyx got up and asked me if I was okay. I told him I was, and he helped me up. Ember picked herself up and the Deuce gave Nick a hand.

Alyx grabbed my hand. We all kicked off our shoes and walked barefoot on the shoreline, waves lapping at our ankles. With the exception of Dan and I, all the others had no siblings at camp. Which means they basically got to do whatever they want, whenever they want. It must be nice, not having someone ordering you around.

But than again, it must get kind of lonely. Nobody to talk to or share your secrets with. Alyx squeezed my hand.

"Watcha thinking about?"

"Do you ever get lonely?" I asked him.

He thought about that. "Sometimes," he decided. "But not often. Usually only at night."

The others chimed in. "You guys are like family. And that's good enough for me," Ember said. Nick nodded in agreement.

In the distance, I noticed a woman walking on the beach. "Who's that?" I murmured, squinting. We picked up our pace a bit. I knew she couldn't be mortal, so that meant she was either a demigod, a monster, or a goddess. The last two didn't seem like such great choices.

We met her about halfway down the beach. She was in maybe her early thirties, wearing a flowing sun dress. So not my style. Her face and makeup was perfect, and her hair blew in the wind the way you only see in commercials. The woman's skin had achieved a perfect tan. When the woman saw us, she smiled.

"Hello there, dears," she said. "I was looking for Percy and Annabeth, but I suppose you'll do." She looked directly at me and Alyx. I got a jittery feeling inside.

"Aphrodite?" I guessed. She didn't say anything. Instead she beamed, probably happy that we knew who she was. Ember frowned. She generally disapproved of love.

"Ah, true love that breaks down all barriers. Very refreshing," Aphrodite approved, nodding. I felt my face go red.

Alyx leaned down. "You're cute when you blush. Did I ever tell you that?" he murmured in my ear. That just made me blush even more.

"No, you never got around to it."

"Um, didn't you tell Percy and Annabeth that?" Nick asked, eyebrows scrunched up.

"Ah, yes. My favorite couple since Helen and Paris. They have proven that love can survive anything, given time and patience."

"Great... but how does that help us?" my brother asked, confused.

"Oh, you'll see. Now... oh, Nick! There you are. Don't give up hope. Can you go tell Chiron that the Situation has gotten worse, and that it is time?" Nick looked like he'd been slapped in the face, but he followed Aphrodite's orders.

"What are you talking about?" Ember demanded as Nick ran off.

Aphrodite laughed. "It's always so much fun keeping people in the dark. Adds some drama. I could tell you, of course, but that would take the fun out of it."

"Uh, no. I meant what was the message about?"

Aphrodite shrugged cheerfully. "I'm just relaying a message. Now, I must be off. Lots of love to attend to! Oh, summer is so much fun. So much love at first sight!" And with that, she dissolved into a breeze of Givenchy.

Ember, Dan, Alyx and I looked at each other. "That was random," I managed to say. The others chorused their agreement. In the distance, the conch horn sounded, signaling dinner.

"Should we go?" Ember asked.

"Can't," Alyx said, putting his hand around my waist and pulling me closer toward him. "I've got a date with Destiny." He grinned.

I laughed. "And I've got a date with Death."

"Alright, then," Dan said. "Have fun. Don't get into trouble." He held out his arm. "Shall we, Ember?"

Ember giggled. "I think we shall." They walked off.

I turned to Alyx. "Okay. What's this date that you've refused to tell me about, but keep hinting at?"

"Follow me," He said mysteriously, "If you want to live." Then he ran off. I guess when you're a child of Death, you get to say stuff like that. I ran after him, kicking up sand behind me.

I caught up with Alyx in a little alcove behind a sand dune. I stopped, amazed. The place was set up for a dinner for two. Alyx had spread out a beach blanket and put a picnic basket. A kite, and a guitar on it. Little candles sat on the ground, waiting to be lit when it got dark.

"Surprise," he said.


	2. We Receive 1 and a Half Death Sentences

**Ta-da! Chapter 2!My first chapter wasn't too good, I know. I'm terrible at introductions. I hope this chapter is better. Please remember to review! It's makes me warm and fuzzy inside, and I review faster!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 2 Skye

I heard the conch horn signal for dinner. I got up off my bed in the Dionysus cabin and dusted my shorts off. I lined up next to the door and waited for Pollux to arrive. I was kind of a joke, almost. I mean there's only two of us. He popped in the doorway and grinned.

"Ready, cabin?" he asked. I mock-saluted him.

"Yes, sir!"

"Then let's move out." We wandered through the cabin omega, joining the throng of campers all heading to the pavilion. One of my friends caught up with me, Valentina "Valya" Belikova. She's this really quiet daughter of Morpheus. In a way, we balance each other out. I like to talk, she likes to be quiet. I like attention, she prefers to stay out of the spotlight. But she's extremely nice.

Valya's shoulder-length brown hair swished behind her as she caught up with me.

"Hey," I said. "Where are you sitting tonight?" After the Titan War, when there was a bunch of minor demigods, Chiron changed the rules a bit. If you are the only demigod at your table, you can sit with other lone demigods. On a good day, there's usually about ten that sit together.

Valya shrugged. "I think I might sit alone today. I need some time to think."

"Think about what?"

"Stuff," she replied. "Nothing that would concern you." She flashed me one of her signature smiles. That just made me believe that it did concern me.

We parted ways when we reached the pavilion. Valentina went to sit at her table, way at the end, while I made my way to Cabin 12's table. I really think that my table has the most fun, second only to the Hermes table. I mean, it's the _party_ table, after all.

Pollux and I sat down. I surveyed the situation. The Hades table, which was right next to us, was empty as usual. Percy was sitting at table 3 with his half-brother, Tyson. The Hermes cabin was being loud and rambunctious, as usual. Like always, nobody from the Hypnos cabin was present. I really wonder how they survive.

The Hestia Table, more commonly known as the "Mix Table" only had two people. We had dubbed it the Mix Table because Hestia is known for hospitality. Today, the alleged "daughter" of Hestia and her friend, Nick, were sitting there. I wondered where the rest of their group was.

That group was kind of strange. They seemed to be very closed off to others. You never caught them alone. They were friendly enough, and got along with others, but those six did everything together.

When we got our food and went up to the braziers, I found myself next to Ember, the daughter of Hestia. I scraped a piece of delicious-looking barbecue into the fire. Vaguely, I heard Ember mutter, "For Hestia. Help me with, you know, the Problem."

Hmm. Interesting. What's the Problem?

I walked back to my table and sat down. Dad and Pollux were in deep conversation about the pros and cons of white grapes. The naiads were gushing about Kenny, the new 15-year-old Hispanic son of Hermes. Apparently, he was a knockout- tanned skin, icy blue eyes and shaggy blond hair. I wasn't seeing what they were seeing. What I saw: just another boy. But that's how I see every boy.

After dinner, Chiron stood up and pounded his hoof for attention. Everybody quieted down, more or less. When Chiron felt he had enough attention, he continued.

"Demigods, satyrs, and spirits. I have a very grave and important announcement." Chiron looked very uncomfortable. "Instead of the Capture-the-flag game, I would like everybody to make their way down to the amphitheater. And I would like some people to find the demigods not present. Thank you." He trotted off, leaving the rest of us to look at each other worriedly.

Lexie POV

I sat in a tree close to the beach with binoculars in my hands. I was spying on Destiny and Alyx. They were currently chasing each other around, laughing hysterically. Destiny tripped and Alyx fell over her. And they stayed in that position.

I knew it was bad tactics, but I was becoming really uncomfortable. I slowly shifted, wincing as the tree rustled. Something in my pocket crinkled. Slowly, I pulled out an old piece of paper. At first, I had no idea what it was. Then I remembered.

The paper from the picture! I was gently unfolding it, when, just my luck, there was a gust of wind. The paper slipped out of my hand and fluttered away, slowly making its way to the ocean. I cursed in Greek as it disappeared in the vast waters of Percy's domain. Well, there goes that plan.

My stomach growled, and I realized I had missed dinner. It was probably too late to grab anything.

Somebody whistled. I half-jumped in surprise and looked down. Dan was leaning against the tree, watching me.

"What do you want?" I hissed. "I'm a little busy right now!"

"As much as I'd love to spy on my sister on her date," he looked wistful, "everybody has to go down to the amphitheater. Chiron has an important message for everybody. So get down here."

I carefully made my way down the tree and landed next to Dan. I dusted off my shorts and we walked back to the amphitheater.

Back to Skye's POV

I sat down next to Pollux in the Dionysus section of the amphitheater. Next to me was the Hephaestus group. On the other side, next to Pollux, were the Hermes kids. That Kenny kid was within an arm's reach of me. Go figure. He looked very uncomfortable, as the occasional girl would glance at him. We waited restlessly as other campers and satyrs straggled in.

When everybody was seated, Chiron walked around so he was in front of the campfire. He took a deep breath... and paused. All two-hundred-somethin' of us leaned forward expectantly.

"Campers and spirits. There has been a problem on Olympus. I have known about this for a while, but I just received the order to inform all of you.

"Several weeks ago, a terrible problem arose. Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena went missing without a trace. Since then, the other gods have been in turmoil. Hera is understandably furious. Ares is planning battle tactics. For what, we're not sure yet. Hades is on the warpath. He is currently building his dead forces in preparation for a war. Artemis has gone AWOL. And the rest, well, let's just say Olympus is not pretty. Some gods are blaming the gods who sided with Kronos for the Titan war. Others are taking sides."

Everyone, even the younger demigods looked worried. The Athena kids and Percy looked murderous. For once, everybody was silent. There was no need to call for attention. A daughter of Aphrodite stood up. "What are we supposed to do? Are you going to issue a quest?"

Chiron nodded. "That's where I was going. I fear this will take more than a quest to fix, though. We're going to need an army to recover the three gods, but first we need to find them. Which is where the questers come in."

Rachel stepped forward. "I received information on who will go on the quest, where they need to go, and what will happen. Unfortunately, it went missing earlier today*. I wasn't allowed to read anything until tonight, but since it got misplaced, we will have to work without it. What I do know, however, is that instead of the traditional three, there will be six demigods on this quest. Volunteers are welcome to step forward."

Chiron spoke up. "Perhaps we should listen to the prophecy before we continue, so campers will know what they're up against."

Rachel nodded. She sat down and immediately, green mist filled the air. Rachel opened her mouth, and the oracle began to speak.

_Six shall go to the land of despair_

_Together, they will seek if they dare_

_The Forbidden Flame holds the key,_

_But three will be separated while at sea._

_Either succeed and come home in misery_

_or fail and be reunited with family._

Rachel collapsed and several demigods helped her. The rest of us sat there dumbfounded. That was one of the most depressing prophecies I've heard yet. Which is saying something. I mean, succeed and be miserable, or be happy as the world as we know it destroys itself. Not a choice I'd like to make.

For a few minutes, there was silence. Then, suddenly, green mist filled the air again, and Rachel sat up like a puppet. Her helpers scampered away, scared. A daughter of Apollo, in charge of writing down prophecies, grabbed some paper and a pencil. Rachel opened her mouth.

_Twenty-two will join the others_

_Many will encounter their troubles _

_One will put their trust in the wrong person_

_Another shall discover- _

Rachel faded away and collapsed for a second time. Chiron himself went over to check on her. We all watched with bated breath as he checked her pulse, then motioned for a son of Apollo. Raphael scurried over. The two conversed quietly, then came to a decision. They got a couple of Hephaestus kids to pick Rachel up and carried her away, probably to the Big House. Chiron turned back to us.

"It seems that our Oracle will... be out of commission for a while. But for now, we must focus on choosing the questers. Who is willing to volunteer?"

For a few minutes, there was silence. Then...

"I'll go."

Everybody turned to face the speaker, who was standing near the back of the stadium seating. When I saw who it was, my heart nearly stopped. It was the last person I'd expect to volunteer...

**Oooh, cliff hanger! I love to torture people. **

**Anyways, how did you like it? Was it better than the first chapter? I mean, one and a half prophecies!Here's some questions that you will have to wait for the answer for:**

**What's wrong with Rachel?**

**Who volunteered?**

**Who's the Forbidden Flame?**

**Where the heck is the Land of Despair?**

**Hee hee, you're gonna have to wait! **

**Do you know what I was getting at?**

**See ya later, alligators!**


	3. We Make Plans

**So here's the chapter you guys are probably dying for. In one day, chapter two got five reviews. Just a little fact. Anyways, I hope you like this! I was notified that I was writing in the same style for both Skye and Lexie's POVs. So I'll try to fix that this time. I hope you like! And the only way I know you like it... is to review! Yay!**

**Disclaimer: Fanfiction. Say it with me: Fan-fic-tion. Not FICTION, FANfiction. Got it?**

Chapter 3: Aerie's POV

Everybody turned to look at the speaker. I turned around, too.

Ember looked scared, very scared. And I didn't blame her. Everybody, and I mean everybody, was staring at her. I don't think any of us was expecting her to volunteer. From the Aphrodite section, my best friend Deserae caught my eye. We shared a glance- my brown eyes to her brown eyes. I've known her long enough to know what she was thinking: this will be a disaster if somebody else doesn't volunteer.

I nodded, a small, slight nod. We broke contact and Deserae turned around to mutter to one of her half-siblings.

"I'll go."

Everybody swiveled around to face the other end of the amphitheater. Nick Bowie, the son of Galene, had stood up.

Chiron got one of his "Thousand Years Old" looks. "Very well," he said. "We know have two volunteers. We need four more. Who else would like to volunteer?"

Skye from the Dionysus cabin stood up. Before anyone could say anything, she held up her hands. "I'm not volunteering, or anything. I just wanted to make a suggestion. We all know Nick and Ember are friends. What if those two went with the other four? Like, Lexie, Dan, Destiny, and Alyx? I mean, that's six, and they all know each other really well. It's almost like they're supposed to go..." Skye trailed, off, but she had made her point. People started to mutter.

Chiron leaned on his staff. "Lexie? Dan? Destiny? Alyx? How do you feel about that idea?"

"I'm for it," Lexie stood up. She was predictable like that, always going head first. See? I notice things.

Dan, the twin son of Apollo, stood up. "Count me in." Next to me, my half sister Amanda drew in a quiet breath. She's hopeless whenever it comes to Dan. Once, she made our cabin freeze over because he had tried to avoid her one day. The ice lasted for three days. We had to sleep in the Big House while our cabin thawed out. It was sad.

Dan's twin, Destiny, stood up next to him. "Me too."

Everybody turned to where the son of Thanatos sat. We waited, expectantly. For some reason, Alyx seemed more reluctant than the others.

"Alyx?" Chiron said. "What do you say?"

Alyx licked his lips. "I- I'll go."

Nobody clapped. Nobody said anything. Nobody moved.

Chiron broke the silence. "Very well, then. We have our questers. We have our prophecy. I think we should continue this discussion in the Big House. All head counselors and questers, please join us for a War Council. We have much to discuss."

I stood up and looked at Amanda. "Meet you back at our cabin?" I said. She smiled at me and nodded.

"Have fun!" she joked, but neither of us were in the mood for laughing. I made my way down the amphitheater seating and joined all the other head counselors. Together we walked up to the Big House. We sat down around the ping pong table which was becoming very squished these days.

At the head of the table was Percy Jackson. Next to him was Annabeth. On the other side was Clarisse. We went around the table: Luna; daughter of Iris, the Stolls, Nico di Angelo, Pollux from the Dionysus cabin, Piper McLean from Aphrodite, Leo Valdez representing the Hephaestus group, Katie Gardner, Raphael; the son of Apollo, as well as several others. Layla, the daughter of Nyx, was conversing with Alexandra, the daughter of Mnemosyne. Nicoletta, daughter of Nike, sat with the daughter of Morpheus, Valentina. Caleb, the son of Eos, sat alone. Zachary, son of Triton, and Celeste, daughter of Techne, were joking around. A couple of others were there from other cabins. I just hadn't bothered to learn their names.

I sat down next to the questers. Chiron wheeled himself in, with a few satyrs in tow. We got right down to business.

"Alright," Chiron started. "First, we need to know where this Land of Despair is. Then we need to sort out provisions and transportation. After that, we have to sort through a few more minor details. Does anybody have any idea what the Land of Despair is?"

"I would say the Underworld, but the Underworld doesn't have a sea in it. Nor do you have to cross any ocean to get there," Nico commented, and several people murmured in agreement.

"So that rules the Underworld out," Percy said. "What about Mount Tam? It's known as the Mountain of Despair. And depending on how you get there, you might have to cross the ocean."

We were silent, thinking about that. "What about Alaska? It's the land beyond the gods: that could really cause some despair. And unless you go through Canada, you have to go over water," someone else put in.

Meanwhile, I zoned out. What caused despair for me? Annoying people, climbing, monsters, certain gods... _monsters!_ That was it! You have to go across water to get there, and even mortals experience despair when they go there.

I coughed loudly to get everybody's attention. They all turned to face me. "It's the Sea of Monsters."

Percy's face got all scrunched up. "You sure? It's mostly water, not land."

"No, no, no, she's right," Zach said. "The oracle must have been referring to land as an area, not necessarily, like, dirt. It makes the most sense."

"She's got a good point," Pollux acknowledged. Chiron nodded.

"So we're going to the Sea of Monsters," Alyx said. "That's great and all. But how do we plan on getting there?"

"Boat," Percy, Zach, and Nick said simultaneously. "I can probably keep the waters calm until we get there," Nick continued.

"And I can help out with the wind," Lexie added. "Finally, something where my powers are actually useful."

Chiron intervened. "I don't think sailing the entire way is such a good idea. Since Poseidon is missing, nobody is really in control of the seas. Triton is doing the best he can, but he's not the most popular among many sea spirits. Several powerful ones are rioting. So I would avoid going by sea for as long as possible."

We were quiet for a while, thinking about alternatives. Going by plane was probably out, too, since Zeus was also missing. Which left going by land.

"Land is the only option," Layla, the daughter of Nyx, said, voicing my thoughts.

There was the sound of assent. "So we go by land down to what, Florida? Then take a boat to the Sea of Monsters," Destiny recapped. "Sounds simple enough to me."

"So now that we've covered that, the next subject is Rachel," Chiron said.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Dan asked.

"It appears she has gone into a coma, or so to say. Raphael and I have discussed it, and we reason that Apollo has intervened for some reason. Unless the Fates have intervened. But basically, all we have to go on to save the world is a prophecy and a half," Chiron debriefed us.

"Will she be okay?" Annabeth asked quickly, her gray eyes stormy.

Raphael nodded. "Unless something changes drastically, she'll be fine. But don't expect her to regain any consciousness any time soon."

"That's great and all, but what has that got to do with us?" Nico asked dubiously.

"That just leads to the fact that we demigods are alone with this. No gods or super powerful beings will be helping us," I realized. That made me very, very annoyed. We're risking our lives here to save their asses, and they refuse to even lift a finger to help us out a bit. The least they could do is give us an oracle!

There was silence and everybody stared at me. At first I wondered if I'd said something wrong, but then Piper said, "Um, Aerie? You're making the ping pong table freeze over."

I glanced down in surprise. I hadn't even noticed I had been gripping the table. And undeniably, the table was slowly dropping in temperature, ice cracking as it snaked its way away from my hands.

"Oops," I said. Ember rolled her eyes good- naturedly and waved her hand. A blast of heat evaporated the ice.

"Which means we need to protect camp borders. Do the Romans know about this?" Annabeth brought us back on track.

Chiron nodded. "They have been informed. They were actually willing to collaborate with us to fix the problem. But we do need to focus on protecting this camp."

"This is our turn," Nicoletta spoke up. "No offense to you guys who fought in the Giant War, but this is our turn to prove ourselves. We need to take charge of the situation. Take it into our own hands. We need to do this. Sure, we'll need help from veterans, but this is _our_ prophecy," she finished, looking around. Most of us were speechless. Then, one by one, we started clapping. Nikky blushed.

"Well said," Connor said.

"Well said indeed," Travis finished.

"And this will be good for Percy," Annabeth said, eying her boyfriend. "He's had too much stress for a twenty year old." Percy tried to protest, then shrugged. Even he couldn't deny it. We quieted down and looked at Chiron. He looked very grave.

"Chiron?" Lexie asked.

"This is out of my hands. I can't do anything. The world is riding on your shoulders. All of you. You are heroes. You must do what you believe is right." Chiron let that sink in.

"Alright," Clarisse broke the silence. "We need to set up defenses. We should have a guard on twenty-four seven. I'm thinking ten guards on the perimeter of the valley, and we can take shifts every two hours or so."

People started nodding and adding their own ideas. Some stuff ranged from extra reinforced borders (Hecate cabin) to spiked maces and catapults (Hephaestus cabin) to rent-a-monsters (don't ask). I zoned out a thought about how dismal these next few weeks were going to be.

**How was that? Maybe a little anti-climatic. Sorry. But don't worry. There's going to be a lot more than just one quest going on. A lot more. I'm going to have three points of view for each chapter: the quest, the camp, and another quest that you'll have to wait to find out about.** **The only way to find out is by reviewing. I'll update faster :)**

**Happy reading!**

**-Silver**


	4. I am so sorry

**I AM SO SORRY! I got distracted by my other story, Dumbledore's Not So Genius Plan. I also have no idea how to write this chapter. My mind is kind of drawing a blank. Curse writer's block! And thirdly, school has started. Which means this is my schedule: 6:00- get up and get ready. 7:10- leave for school. 7:35- school starts. 2:00- school ends. 2:30 to 4:30-ish- cross country practice. Then I come home, do my homework, and go to bed.**

**And so, though I regret to inform you all, Don't Stop Believin' is going to be delayed for a bit. There are lots of wonderful stories out there that I'm sure you would love to read.**

**Until next time,**

**Silver**


	5. Adoption

Hi, guys. This Note is killing me. Really. I hate to tell you guys, but...

I'm putting this story up for adoption. I can't juggle, like, five stories along with schoolwork and sports. It's just not possible.

If you are interested in continuing this story, PM me and I can give you the character's descriptions and story's plot. I want to make sure somebody who can really do a good job adopts this.

Wow. I feel like I'm giving my own child away (not that I _have_ one, but you know what I mean...)

So, yeah. I'm really sorry, people. If you want a story that I _won't _be putting up for adoption (EVER!), check out my other story, Dumbledore's NotSoGenious Plan.

-Silver out.

(\/)  
*.*


	6. So long, everyone

Hello faithful followers!

Skye222 will be adopting this story, so be sure to read it! I think she will do an amazing job. I'm sorry about this again, guys, but it had to be done.

Love you guys forever :)

-Silver


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